Hi! my full name is Gabrielle Beargeon, but everyone calls me Ellie. I was born in San Diego, California on the big Navy base located there, and than I moved to Rhode Island to live here with my grandmother. I went to Ponaganset High School where I spent the majority of my time in band rehearsal, and traveling to compete. I play bass clarinet, which kind of looks like a black saxophone, and I also play jazz guitar! When I wasn't in the band room, I was taking care of my two half-siblings. They're really cute but they can be a handful! I would have never have gotten where I am without the influence, wisdom, and motivational skills of several really special teachers I had in high school. Because of them, I am studying Secondary Education and Spanish, which is what I want to teach! Additionally, most of my family members have served in the Navy, and they've instilled upon me the value of service, so after I graduate college I plan to do my four years too, hopefully as a cryptologist. I can't wait to travel! However, I want to be a teacher more than anything else, and hopefully along the way, inspire and help a few students as much as my former teachers did for me.
Early Education
I don't have one particular academic memory from elementary or middle school that really influenced and shaped me, but I certainly wouldn't be who I am today without my best friend David - who I met on the very first day of kindergarten! When I got home from school that day, I was sitting outside with my grandmother when he rode by on a tricycle- we lived two houses away from each other! And from that moment on, we spent all our time together. We also realized quickly that we worked well together, or, as well as kindergarteners can 'work'. When we started really learning to read and write, I got the hang of it - whereas David was stuck. He had a lot of trouble with just about everything we were supposed to try and do related to the English language. Luckily, I could help him! But then we started learning basic math: adding and subtracting. And to me it was the most challenging thing ever. To David, he had finally found his niche, and he got really excited learning how the numbers worked, while I was consumed with wanting to learn more about stringing together full sentences. We adored our teachers and we loved school, and learning. Though it was only Kindergarten, we pretty much stayed the same all the way to our high school graduation. Because we loved teaching each other, and eventually becoming tutors in high school, we sort of had a mutual epiphany that we wanted to be teachers, and hopefully emulate some of our favorite things about the teachers we had throughout the years. And now, we're both going to college to major in Secondary Education! Except his double major is math, and mine is Spanish. Without having such supportive teachers in elementary school that fostered a happy, warm environment for us, we might have turned out differently. Instead of thriving on challenge and enjoying to learn, we may have grown to resent our teachers and any work they gave us. It was in elementary school that we first learned the difference a great teacher can make - and also how a bad teacher can affect a student. I think for most kids, in elementary school you're still excited to learn. A challenge is something exciting, sort of like an adventure! Kids just want to soak everything up, and after elementary school, that desire to learn can fade. Looking back on it now, I see how important it is that a child's desire to learn be protected and fueled so they retain it all the way through their education, even through college. Perhaps without having met David, who was just as excited as I was, I would never have had much of a thing for school. If I hadn't had Mrs. Banahan, my Kindergarten teacher, who encouraged students to help each other, I might have never discovered the joy of watching someone light up when something finally clicks in their head. I'm not sure if that was academic enough, but I sure hope it suffices. It seems pretty important to me. The people you meet and befriend can have a huge impact on your life, and who you turn out to be!
High School
In high school the thing that impacted my life most significantly was band, and my conductor, Mr. Coyne. Each year, he selects seven freshman by audition to join the extremely prestigious and competitive wind ensemble. For 52 years consecutively, they've placed first nationally. Somehow, I practiced enough and made it in! I was so proud! However, when we had the first rehearsal, I wasn't so sure I could handle it. Mr. Coyne, the conductor, was incredibly demanding, strict, and didn't put up with anything less than excellence. He gave us a speech then about mediocrity and passion that set the stage for my entire high school career, and probably will stick with me for the rest of my life. As a senior, I finally figured it all out: he was harsh on us because he knew what each and every one of us were capable of, and he knew that we were doing a disservice to ourselves by not reaching our full potential and working as hard as we could. Band was the most incredible experience, I learned to thrive under copious amounts of pressure, I learned to be confident, and I learned not to be afraid to make a mistake, because that's how you grow. Most importantly though, I learned that hard work absolutely does pay off and that passion is necessary to achieve anything great. Over those four years, I spent one hour a day in school, and all my Monday and Wednesday nights at three hour long rehearsals with my bandmates. I got to travel all over the USA, make some really great memories, and of course play some great music. The band room was like my second home and almost all my friends were in band too, and consequently my life basically revolved around it. Mr. Coyne showed me how much more there is to being a great teacher than just teaching the course material. He could really inspire kids, he could get anyone to work harder than they thought they could, simply because he was not someone you wanted to disappoint. His high expectations for us in turn left us having higher standards for ourselves, which is incredibly valuable to a high school student, and something we could apply not only to all of our classes, but to our lives. Teachers like him can make all the difference in a kid's life. I would not even be close to who I am today if I hadn't been in band for those four years. If I turn out to be half the teacher he was, than I'll be thrilled!
Outside Influences
The most significant outside influence on me was my grandmother. My parents were never married or together, and my mom wasn't able to support me alone, so I lived with my grandmother for about eleven years. She supported me entirely and I am grateful to have her in my life. She grew up in very poor circumstances and is a very frugal and practical woman. She believes in hard work and she doesn't know what an excuse is. I remember vividly breaking my ankle in seventh grade, and asking her if she would get something from my room for me, and she reminded me that I had one completely functional leg and so that I had no excuse to be lazy. She made me very self-disciplined, and she instilled on me a belief that any obstacle is able to be conquered. Her tough-love was great, and if I truly needed her to be empathetic, she would always listen to me and be supportive. She believes that the most important two professions are nursing or teaching, and is very excited that I'm going to college to be a teacher. It is very encouraging having her by my side on my career choice. She put herself through college, and I'm doing it myself too, and it makes me feel very accomplished and independent, and I'm glad that my grandmother helped me to grow up to be self sufficient, and strong. Additionally, she is a kind, generous woman, who believes in giving back to the community or the church, and is big on giving donations, and I love that about her, and I hope that when I'm older, I'll have the money to donate as well! She calls me frequently to make sure I'm doing all my work and that I'm happy, and I'm very lucky to have someone like her rooting for me. If it wasn't for her, and how she helped my mother and I out, I might not have been able to go to college at all, and I am so grateful to her, I owe her everything.
Learning in College
In college, of course we all want to be deep learners, but maybe sometimes we all fall prey to being too concerned with a grade. Depending on the class, it might spark your curiosity or encourage you to dig deeper into what you're learning. For example, in my GCH Rivers class, we are always being pushed to truly understand the concepts of watersheds and be passionate about it. I find myself actually caring about advocacy for watersheds and the environment, and I really enjoy figuring out the complicated diagrams of how all these things work. I took it to fulfill my general ed science requirement and so far, ended up really loving the class. Hopefully, as I continue through college I can find ways to enjoy all my classes as much as I enjoy this one. I hope to be a deep learner but also to do well on exams and papers, and finding that balance will be key.
JamieButalewicz
Hi everyone! My name is Jamie Butalewicz and I am currently a freshman. I am studying Forensic Chemistry and hope to one day work in one of those high-tech crime labs! I am from Farmingville, New York which is just about in the center of Long Island. It takes about 3.5 hours to get to URI, but it isn't so bad because I get to take the ferry (which provides the most beautiful scenery!). I have one sister named Julia who is starting her freshman year of high school. I also have a little hot dog (dachshund) named Hershey that enjoys sleeping the day away! My absolute favorite thing in the whole world is playing softball! I am a pitcher and theres nothing I love more than standing on that mound in control of the whole game. When I'm not playing softball (which isn't very often) I love watching Netflix. Some of my favorite shows are Grey's Anatomy and Friends! I am a HUGE Yankees fan and even bigger Derek Jeter fan! Lastly, I love to travel with my family and spend countless hours just hanging out with friends all summer long. My absolute two best friends and my family are my entire life and I don't know what I would do without them! (Here's a picture of me (in blue) and my two best friends from Prom... we didn't try to look red, white, and blue like the american flag, it kind of just happened.)
EmmaBychok
Hi everyone, my name is Emma Bychok! I am from York, Maine and I went to York High School. Some of my passions include music and the outdoors, especially the beach! I've been playing the guitar since I was nine and some of the other instruments I play are the piano and the ukulele. To go along with music, I love to sing! I sang in the choir at my high school, but mostly behind closed doors in my bedroom or shower. Since I come from a beach town, I love the beach! Nothing calms me down faster than sitting on the rocks and listening to the water hit the shore. Other interests of mine include Netflix, the Patriots, the Food Network, and my pets.
HayleyDoyle
My name is Hayley Doyle and I am from Weymouth, Massachusetts (about a half an hour south of Boston). I have lived in the same place for my entire life with my Mom, Dad, fifteen year old sister Kristen, and thirteen year old brother Jack. When I was about four, I started doing gymnastics, and I haven't stopped loving it since. Now, my mom is a lower level coach at my gym and my sister is on the competitive team. It has proven to be very convenient and helpful having my mom as a coach, because she always knows what we are talking about, and she can help us through and challenges that we are faced with. Often after meets, we just sit in my kitchen and talk for hours about our routines and the scoring. Although it can be nerve racking and scary, my favorite event is beam because the feeling of finally learning a new skill or sticking a routine in a meet is so rewarding. My club coach has coached me since my first day of gymnastics, and I still go and practice with him whenever I go home for a few days. My club gym is like my second home, and I have a feeling that I will being going back quite often.
I attended an all-girls Catholic High School, where everyone wore the same uniform day after day. It was a very different high school experience than most people had, but I enjoyed it because it was a comfortable environment where I knew almost everyone in the school. I was extremely close with my High School gymnastics team, and it was so hard to leave them. Every single member of the team was enthusiastic and supportive, and I had practice to look forward to almost every day after school in the winter. I can safely say that that team was one of my favorite parts of High School, and I miss the girls so much. In addition to gymnastics, I was also a member of the diving team for three years. Senior year, I tutored my third grade neighbor in math and reading after school. My favorite school subjects are math and spanish, and my favorite class in High School was bioethics. In general, I had a really hard time leaving High School. I actually did not even get to go to my graduation because I was at a national gymnastics meet in Florida.
Outside of school, I assist my former fourth grade teachers in running a summer drama camp. This past summer was the ninth year, and we put on the show "Annie." The camp includes students ranging in age from nine to eighteen, and they all work together to put on a play after only three weeks. Throughout those three weeks, we really get to know each other, and end up crying at the end of it. I think that I often have more fun than the kids, making up dances to teach them, editing the script, organizing the bowing order, etc. Both my brother and sister also are involved in the camp, so it is something that we can all do together. My favorite play that we have ever done was "The Sound of Music," which was last summer. I got to play Maria, and I had my own little stage family. The kids really loved the idea of acting as a family, and we all still talk about the funny things that happened during rehearsals that year. We would also do a drama enrichment for third and fourth graders in the winter after school, and the cast list continued to grow each year. I hope to continue helping to run this camp long after I am out of college. Here at URI, I am an elementary education and spanish major, and I hope to someday teach third or fourth grade. I also hope to be a part of the club gymnastics team here so that I can continue that for another four years. Although I am not exactly sure where I will end up, I am excited to see what the future holds.
GraceGleason
Hi guys! My name is Grace Gleason and I am a freshman this year. I am from Duxbury Massachusetts and have lived there since I was born. I am undecided about a major but I am hoping to figure it out soon. Whenever I can, I love to spend time with my friends and family. I have an older brother who is a junior in college who is majoring in business as well as getting on my nerves! Over the years I have been involved in more sports and activities than I can count on my fingers because I love to stay busy. I also have a love for horses and my mom has been teaching me how to play the violin ever since I was big enough to fit it under my arm. A couple of years ago I had a unique opportunity to perform at Carnegie Hall in New York City. I am always listening to music and am a huge country fan, especially anything Luke Bryan! During summer 2015 I worked, traveled to Chicago, and spent way too much time at the beach. I’m hoping for a successful and fun year at URI and to meet lots of new people!
EmilyHudson
Hi, Emily here! I am Rhode Island born and Rhode Island bred. I am the most indecisive person, but I've never been so sure about anything like I am about becoming a teacher. I am the youngest of my two older brothers and I have a miniature dachshund, Maggie (who's not so mini anymore, since she lives to eat). I attended West Warwick high school and was involved in just about everything: Drama, Languages, Community Projects, Student Government, Sports - I wanted to try out everything, but then never wanted to stop! I've spent majority of these past 4 years on stage, which is where I feel most myself. Off the stage, I would oftentimes be found planning school pep rallies and fundraisers as my class president. Or maybe on the tennis courts starting my own tennis team. I pretty much was defined by school. Now that those 4 years have come to a close, these next 4 years take lift off. Right now, all I am is a freshman attending URI, and I love that. "Here's to what's next."
AlexisLavallee
Hi! My name is Alexis and I live in Warwick, Rhode Island. I'm currently in my sophomore year of college and also my first year at URI. I spent my freshman year at Keene State College in New Hampshire, only to realize that living out of state wasn't for me. A few facts about me are...
I'm a Secondary Education and English major
One of my dreams is to travel (I hope to study abroad in Europe next year)
I'm a huge Patriots fan
I'm passionate about studying/reading literature. Some of my favorite books:
Hey y'all my name is Taylor Lawson and I am a swimmer here at the University of Rhode Island! I am from New York and am majoring in Elementary Education. I have swam most of my life and the sport plays a large role in the person that I am today. Swimming has shown me not only how to be able to manage my time super well, but how to be a leader, team player, hard worker and gave me the ability to develop a positive mindset and attitude. It's not always easy to wake up at early hours and stay up late in to the night trying to finish homework, but swimming gave me the drive to be able to complete tasks as such. I struggled a lot in high school trying to balance every aspect of my life, but I'm glad that I have developed these life skills.
Over the summers, when I'm not swimming, I am a lifeguard, coach and swim instructor. I absolutely love working with children which gave me the inspiration to want to become an elementary school teacher, and give back to the community and teachers I've had along the way for helping me become exactly who I am today. The look children give you when they finally accomplished something they have been working so hard for is something that is indescribable and irreplaceable, so my goal is to work really hard, engage in learning at a whole new level, and become a teacher so that I can see that look everyday of my life.
I am grateful everyday for all of the people in my life, which is something that makes life positive and full of bright things. I want people to feel positive; something I plan on encouraging while I'm a teacher. I believe that with a positive attitude, you can do anything that you set your mind to. Do what you love, love what you do; if you don't love it, move on and find something else, there is a world full of possibilities out there, go find them!
BethanyLong
Hello everyone! My name is Bethany and I come from upstate New York (Poughkeepsie Area). I went to Catholic/ private school from Kindergarten through 12th grade so I do not know much about the public school education system. I am the oldest of two; I have a younger brother, soon to be sixteen. I have been a competitive dancer since the age of four and it was all I knew growing up! We competed regionally and nationally, even against the famous "Dance Moms." I dabbled in soccer for awhile but it all came to a halt before my senior year. I was a lifeguard at an outdoor pool and fell down the stairs running to a patron during a storm. I landed on my back and later realized I herniated one of my disks. It was no big deal until I began having trouble walking. Long story short, I have Sciatica at 18 and I go though procedures to help monitor the pain but if you get stuck walking behind me on a bad day, I'm sorry cause Itend to slow down a bit. I was able to compete my senior year with limitations but I am glad and proud I was able to finish. After my fall I gave up lifeguarding and now babysit full time. I left 14 babysitting kids at home when I came to college; They became my life! I love working with children and I am hoping this course will better help me understand their education. I am a Communicative Disorders major with my attention towards pediatric speech therapy and audiology!
MelissaMorris
Hey there! My name is Melissa Morris, and I am a freshman here at URI. Currently I am planning on majoring in Chemistry, but I'm always trying to keep an open mind. I live in Billerica, Massachusetts with my younger sister (who is a junior in high school), and the cutest little puppy named Holly. Some things I love include soccer (as you can see from the picture to the left), hiking, running, photography, camping with family and friends, and playing the ukulele. Although TV isn't really my thing, my two favorite shows are Bob's Burgers and Parks and Rec. I spent most of my time in high school running around to get to all the sports I played; I was a captain of the girl's soccer team for three years, I ran indoor and outdoor track and field, I was a figure skater until sophomore year, I snowboarded with my family on the weekends, and I danced at Sally Gould Dance Center a couple hours a week. My family jokes that my busy schedule is the reason my hair is so long - apparently I never have time to cut it.
Below are links to the sections of my Academic Autobiography. I wrote this autobiography for my American Education Honors course, and it explains what has influenced me to become learner I am and the learner I want to be.
Early School Influences - Yes, I did in fact try to run away from school in fourth grade. Why? Guess you'll have to read the link!
High School Influences - No tests, ever? Click here to read about my experience with project-based education.
Future Learning - Ever heard of Patch Adams, or maybe the OLLI institute? One night that secured my outlook on life.
SamanthaNinesling
ChrisParisella
Introduction
Hello! My name is Christopher Parisella, but I think I like you, so you can call me Chris! I'm an undeclared freshman student here at URI! I was born in New Haven, Connecticut, and growing up attended school in my hometown of North Haven. Growing up, my mother's own musical talents instilled in me an interest in music and the arts, and from a young age I've enjoyed all types of music. In junior high, as well as high school, I played the alto saxophone as a part of my school's concert and jazz bands. In high school, though I'd always fostered a love of singing, I decided to dive into an organized group for the first time, joining several different musical groups and beginning my journey into the world of choir and a capella. Though I'd also played soccer from a young age, once I got to high school, I hung up my cleats to exchange them for track spikes, joining the school's track team; a team through which I made some of my best friends. Over the four years of my career as a jumper and hurdler both indoors and out, I worked towards my end goal of becoming a team captain, which I thankfully managed to achieve. I've also spent the past six years now working at a summer camp in Quebec, honing my French and meeting so many incredible people! I'm gonna keep on singing, but I know I'll miss track for sure. Now that I'm in college, however, I'm focused on discovering my major, whatever it may be, and buckling down in the classroom. I'm interested in people, and I enjoy working with people. Where will this lead me? I hope to soon find out!
DawnParry
Dawn Parry
Introduction
My name is Dawn Parry, and I am currently enrolled in the University of Rhode Island pursuing a BS Marine Biology/Masters of Oceanography 5-year degree. I am a recent graduate of the Marine Academy of Technology and Environmental Science (MATES) in Manahawkin, New Jersey. I live in Point Pleasant, NJ, and in high school I was very involved in athletics, clubs, research, and community service. I aspire to be a research scientist, preferably in the fields of marine biology or oceanography. One day, I will earn my doctorate and possibly teach high school or college level courses in those fields. I am especially fascinated by deep-sea exploration and spent a week in August 2014 on the deep-sea exploration vessel Nautilus. I live minutes from the ocean, and I love going to the river and ocean beaches. I also love making trips a little further away to go to Yankees and Jets games with my dad.
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JennaSantoro
Introduction: Hi! My name is Jenna Santoro. I am a freshman at URI. My major is math and secondary education. I am from Totowa, New Jersey and went to a Passaic Valley High School which is made up of Totowa, Woodland Park and Little Falls. I also have a beach house in Lavallette, New Jersey. I am a triplet, but the other two are boys and we do not like anything alike. I also have two dogs and their names are Rocky(Bub) and Jake(Nub). I love spending my entire summer on the beach and just laying out in the sun for hours upon hours. At night my favorite thing to watch is Friends, but on Monday nights I love watching Awkward as well. In high school I threw the Javelin and participated in an event called Girls' Show which is a very big deal at my school. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IovNmuWeo_w (here's a link to 2014 and the quality is not that good, but this was my favorite year out of my 4 years on Green Exercise) I like running, but summer nights I'd rather walk by the bay instead. I do not have any pictures of myself so I decided to put one up of myself and my beautiful roommates! ( I'm on the left)
OliviaSeegers
Hi everyone! My name is Olivia Seegers and I am a freshman here at the University of Rhode Island. I have lived in the same place my whole life, Sherman,
Connecticut, and I am thankful to go to school in a totally different place. I grew up in a four person household, with my mother, father, and brother. Of course my
mom would like me to count the dogs and cats as siblings, but for now I will leave it at four. Like most kids growing up, I attended Saturday morning soccer games
every week at our local park, Veteran's Field. Practices were once a week, and anyone that could at least keep the ball under control was the MVP of the week. This
is where natural selection began, sorting out the weak ones and separating the athletes from the children.
Not really. But this is where I first found my love for sports and competition. Although I was not the quickest with my feet, in the 5th grade I would find out that
hand eye coordination would be my natural gift. I began basketball in middle school, and loved every minute of it; the practices, my coach and teammates,
dinners out after a victory, but by far my favorite part of sports was the adrenaline. Now I am not a thrill seeking person, I have no desire to cliff dive or jump out
of an airplane to feel a shot of electricity going through my veins. I lived for the heat of the moment, and working my tail off every weekend at games. I played
every year up until my senior year of high school, and had picked up other sports since then. Freshman year I also joined the fall volleyball team and the spring
track and field team. Sports have always made a huge impact on my life. Aside from my team family, I have loving parents and a reluctantly affectionate brother
back at home. Although it was my dad that really drove me with sports, my mom was always my number one fan. Attending almost all of my sporting events,
she was my cheerleader and coach on the sidelines.
I grew up in an extremely supportive family. Whenever my brother and I wanted to try something new, my parents were the first ones to say "Okay, lets tackle
this together." I am so thankful now for all they have done in my life, in school and out. Although I was always smart, I was never the top of my class, and of
course I was close friends with everyone in the top 10 of class ranks. I remember coming home from school upset that I didn't get as good a grade as them, or
highest honors. I was always on the honor roll, but never on top, and that's what my life seemed to be for a very long time. No matter how many hours I stayed
after school with the teacher, or flashcards I made, I was never the smartest. I became content with being second best, but always first in sports. This was the
way of the world up until my senior year when I decided that instead of my usual 100% towards sports and 90% to school, I would give my all to both. I ended
the year with a 3.6 GPA and multiple awards from my volleyball team.
(sorry I was unable to upload images)
JenniferStorch
Hello everyone! My names is Jennifer Storch. I'm from Long Island, New York. It was the perfect place to grow up, being that, it was a short drive to both the beach and the city! I am double majoring in English and Secondary Education. One day I hope to became a professor and write books. I really enjoy creating art, reading, and volunteering!
Smithfield, Rhode Island is just a microcosm for the smallest state. In this scaled down Rhode Island, for 16 years lived a boy and his family. That boy was me, Sam Tubman, and here is my story. In the fall of 1999, my family and I moved from the distant North Providence to our little slice of paradise in Smithfield. Growing up in Smithfield is a lot like keeping one eye shut to the world and the other is focused on the ground in front of you. It’s very hard to pay any attention to the outside because the town is just big enough to occupy one’s attention, but small enough where it’s not well connected to the outside world. I spent most of my time thinking about sports and school, and in a way that helped me succeed in my small life because I had little distractions. On the other hand I feel my town failed me by not putting a larger perspective in my mind. It wasn’t until high school that I had any idea about what was going on in the world. I started to watch the news frequently and found myself interested in late night news talk shows such as the Colbert Report and The Daily Show (rip). It was also at this time that I first started watching soccer, a sport that I had played my whole life. My favorite team is Tottenham Hotspur in the English Premier League. I also very much enjoy the US Men’s National Team. It is one of the only times that I can feel my patriotism take over, and in Smithfield, it’s hard to think about the country as a whole. I grew up in Smithfield and I wouldn’t have had it any other way.
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Introduction
My name is Lauren Zeffer and I am from North Babylon, Long Island. I have an older sister who is 25 and a younger sister who is 16. I would be lying if I said my mom never let me have cool pets. Right now I have a Maltese and Yorkie mix named Sugar, a parakeet named Hoot, and a hedgehog named Ollie. In the past I have had fish, hamsters, turtles, and even two ducks. I am a sophomore wildlife and conservation biology major with a minor in Spanish.
Growing up, my family had a tiny bungalow just off the shore of the Great South Bay in a small private community just 20 minutes from my house. My great grandfather built the house over 75 years ago. He changed the lives of his family members for generations after. I had the privilege of spending my summers here. My grandmother never wanted me to sit inside all day. I was given the option of either finding friends, exploring outside, or going home to North Babylon. Being shy, I decided to explore. I used to go fishing in the creek across from my bungalow. I used to see deer, muskrats, chipmunks, snapping turtles, and more while I sat with my fishing pole. When I got bored, I rode my bike to the marina where I watched the Osprey build its nest. I was fascinated by the way they carried fish in their talons and how beautiful they were. Being the little nature lover I was, I walked on the beach to collect seashells, poked dead puffer fish with sticks, and picked up crabs and clams and threw them back in the water after they had washed up on the beach. Nature became part of who I was. As I got older I saw my first owl while I was riding my bike back home at dusk. I stopped and saw a few more fly onto the power line. I though it was the coolest thing I had ever seen because I had heard their calls in the past and collected their feathers for years, but never actually saw one.
By the time I hit late middle school and early high school, I began thinking of ideas for my Girl Scout Gold Award. The Girl Scout Gold Award is the highest award one can earn in Girl Scouting, and I was determined to earn mine because I had been a Girl Scout since kindergarten. I learned that bat populations on Long Island were in serious decline beginning in 2010. I wanted to find a way to intertwine that knowledge into my project. I came up with building bat houses in order to help restore their populations. I spent over 80 hours researching, teaching others about the importance of bats, and building and installing three bat houses, each housing about 80 bats. I installed them in three different locations within my summer community, hoping to give back to the wildlife that had influenced my childhood. Without my great grandfather building the bungalow, I am not sure I would be going to school to pursue a career in wildlife conservation.
Introduction
Hi! my full name is Gabrielle Beargeon, but everyone calls me Ellie. I was born in San Diego, California on the big Navy base located there, and than I moved to Rhode Island to live here with my grandmother. I went to Ponaganset High School where I spent the majority of my time in band rehearsal, and traveling to compete. I play bass clarinet, which kind of looks like a black saxophone, and I also play jazz guitar! When I wasn't in the band room, I was taking care of my two half-siblings. They're really cute but they can be a handful! I would have never have gotten where I am without the influence, wisdom, and motivational skills of several really special teachers I had in high school. Because of them, I am studying Secondary Education and Spanish, which is what I want to teach! Additionally, most of my family members have served in the Navy, and they've instilled upon me the value of service, so after I graduate college I plan to do my four years too, hopefully as a cryptologist. I can't wait to travel! However, I want to be a teacher more than anything else, and hopefully along the way, inspire and help a few students as much as my former teachers did for me.
Early Education
I don't have one particular academic memory from elementary or middle school that really influenced and shaped me, but I certainly wouldn't be who I am today without my best friend David - who I met on the very first day of kindergarten! When I got home from school that day, I was sitting outside with my grandmother when he rode by on a tricycle- we lived two houses away from each other! And from that moment on, we spent all our time together. We also realized quickly that we worked well together, or, as well as kindergarteners can 'work'. When we started really learning to read and write, I got the hang of it - whereas David was stuck. He had a lot of trouble with just about everything we were supposed to try and do related to the English language. Luckily, I could help him! But then we started learning basic math: adding and subtracting. And to me it was the most challenging thing ever. To David, he had finally found his niche, and he got really excited learning how the numbers worked, while I was consumed with wanting to learn more about stringing together full sentences. We adored our teachers and we loved school, and learning. Though it was only Kindergarten, we pretty much stayed the same all the way to our high school graduation. Because we loved teaching each other, and eventually becoming tutors in high school, we sort of had a mutual epiphany that we wanted to be teachers, and hopefully emulate some of our favorite things about the teachers we had throughout the years. And now, we're both going to college to major in Secondary Education! Except his double major is math, and mine is Spanish. Without having such supportive teachers in elementary school that fostered a happy, warm environment for us, we might have turned out differently. Instead of thriving on challenge and enjoying to learn, we may have grown to resent our teachers and any work they gave us. It was in elementary school that we first learned the difference a great teacher can make - and also how a bad teacher can affect a student. I think for most kids, in elementary school you're still excited to learn. A challenge is something exciting, sort of like an adventure! Kids just want to soak everything up, and after elementary school, that desire to learn can fade. Looking back on it now, I see how important it is that a child's desire to learn be protected and fueled so they retain it all the way through their education, even through college. Perhaps without having met David, who was just as excited as I was, I would never have had much of a thing for school. If I hadn't had Mrs. Banahan, my Kindergarten teacher, who encouraged students to help each other, I might have never discovered the joy of watching someone light up when something finally clicks in their head. I'm not sure if that was academic enough, but I sure hope it suffices. It seems pretty important to me. The people you meet and befriend can have a huge impact on your life, and who you turn out to be!
High School
In high school the thing that impacted my life most significantly was band, and my conductor, Mr. Coyne. Each year, he selects seven freshman by audition to join the extremely prestigious and competitive wind ensemble. For 52 years consecutively, they've placed first nationally. Somehow, I practiced enough and made it in! I was so proud! However, when we had the first rehearsal, I wasn't so sure I could handle it. Mr. Coyne, the conductor, was incredibly demanding, strict, and didn't put up with anything less than excellence. He gave us a speech then about mediocrity and passion that set the stage for my entire high school career, and probably will stick with me for the rest of my life. As a senior, I finally figured it all out: he was harsh on us because he knew what each and every one of us were capable of, and he knew that we were doing a disservice to ourselves by not reaching our full potential and working as hard as we could. Band was the most incredible experience, I learned to thrive under copious amounts of pressure, I learned to be confident, and I learned not to be afraid to make a mistake, because that's how you grow. Most importantly though, I learned that hard work absolutely does pay off and that passion is necessary to achieve anything great. Over those four years, I spent one hour a day in school, and all my Monday and Wednesday nights at three hour long rehearsals with my bandmates. I got to travel all over the USA, make some really great memories, and of course play some great music. The band room was like my second home and almost all my friends were in band too, and consequently my life basically revolved around it. Mr. Coyne showed me how much more there is to being a great teacher than just teaching the course material. He could really inspire kids, he could get anyone to work harder than they thought they could, simply because he was not someone you wanted to disappoint. His high expectations for us in turn left us having higher standards for ourselves, which is incredibly valuable to a high school student, and something we could apply not only to all of our classes, but to our lives. Teachers like him can make all the difference in a kid's life. I would not even be close to who I am today if I hadn't been in band for those four years. If I turn out to be half the teacher he was, than I'll be thrilled!
Outside Influences
The most significant outside influence on me was my grandmother. My parents were never married or together, and my mom wasn't able to support me alone, so I lived with my grandmother for about eleven years. She supported me entirely and I am grateful to have her in my life. She grew up in very poor circumstances and is a very frugal and practical woman. She believes in hard work and she doesn't know what an excuse is. I remember vividly breaking my ankle in seventh grade, and asking her if she would get something from my room for me, and she reminded me that I had one completely functional leg and so that I had no excuse to be lazy. She made me very self-disciplined, and she instilled on me a belief that any obstacle is able to be conquered. Her tough-love was great, and if I truly needed her to be empathetic, she would always listen to me and be supportive. She believes that the most important two professions are nursing or teaching, and is very excited that I'm going to college to be a teacher. It is very encouraging having her by my side on my career choice. She put herself through college, and I'm doing it myself too, and it makes me feel very accomplished and independent, and I'm glad that my grandmother helped me to grow up to be self sufficient, and strong. Additionally, she is a kind, generous woman, who believes in giving back to the community or the church, and is big on giving donations, and I love that about her, and I hope that when I'm older, I'll have the money to donate as well! She calls me frequently to make sure I'm doing all my work and that I'm happy, and I'm very lucky to have someone like her rooting for me. If it wasn't for her, and how she helped my mother and I out, I might not have been able to go to college at all, and I am so grateful to her, I owe her everything.
Learning in College
In college, of course we all want to be deep learners, but maybe sometimes we all fall prey to being too concerned with a grade. Depending on the class, it might spark your curiosity or encourage you to dig deeper into what you're learning. For example, in my GCH Rivers class, we are always being pushed to truly understand the concepts of watersheds and be passionate about it. I find myself actually caring about advocacy for watersheds and the environment, and I really enjoy figuring out the complicated diagrams of how all these things work. I took it to fulfill my general ed science requirement and so far, ended up really loving the class. Hopefully, as I continue through college I can find ways to enjoy all my classes as much as I enjoy this one. I hope to be a deep learner but also to do well on exams and papers, and finding that balance will be key.
I attended an all-girls Catholic High School, where everyone wore the same uniform day after day. It was a very different high school experience than most people had, but I enjoyed it because it was a comfortable environment where I knew almost everyone in the school. I was extremely close with my High School gymnastics team, and it was so hard to leave them. Every single member of the team was enthusiastic and supportive, and I had practice to look forward to almost every day after school in the winter. I can safely say that that team was one of my favorite parts of High School, and I miss the girls so much. In addition to gymnastics, I was also a member of the diving team for three years. Senior year, I tutored my third grade neighbor in math and reading after school. My favorite school subjects are math and spanish, and my favorite class in High School was bioethics. In general, I had a really hard time leaving High School. I actually did not even get to go to my graduation because I was at a national gymnastics meet in Florida.
Outside of school, I assist my former fourth grade teachers in running a summer drama camp. This past summer was the ninth year, and we put on the show "Annie." The camp includes students ranging in age from nine to eighteen, and they all work together to put on a play after only three weeks. Throughout those three weeks, we really get to know each other, and end up crying at the end of it. I think that I often have more fun than the kids, making up dances to teach them, editing the script, organizing the bowing order, etc. Both my brother and sister also are involved in the camp, so it is something that we can all do together. My favorite play that we have ever done was "The Sound of Music," which was last summer. I got to play Maria, and I had my own little stage family. The kids really loved the idea of acting as a family, and we all still talk about the funny things that happened during rehearsals that year. We would also do a drama enrichment for third and fourth graders in the winter after school, and the cast list continued to grow each year. I hope to continue helping to run this camp long after I am out of college. Here at URI, I am an elementary education and spanish major, and I hope to someday teach third or fourth grade. I also hope to be a part of the club gymnastics team here so that I can continue that for another four years. Although I am not exactly sure where I will end up, I am excited to see what the future holds.
Hi guys! My name is Grace Gleason and I am a freshman this year. I am from Duxbury Massachusetts and have lived there since I was born. I am undecided about a major but I am hoping to figure it out soon. Whenever I can, I love to spend time with my friends and family. I have an older brother who is a junior in college who is majoring in business as well as getting on my nerves! Over the years I have been involved in more sports and activities than I can count on my fingers because I love to stay busy. I also have a love for horses and my mom has been teaching me how to play the violin ever since I was big enough to fit it under my arm. A couple of years ago I had a unique opportunity to perform at Carnegie Hall in New York City. I am always listening to music and am a huge country fan, especially anything Luke Bryan! During summer 2015 I worked, traveled to Chicago, and spent way too much time at the beach. I’m hoping for a successful and fun year at URI and to meet lots of new people!
My Academic Autobiography:
Hey y'all my name is Taylor Lawson and I am a swimmer here at the University of Rhode Island! I am from New York and am majoring in Elementary Education. I have swam most of my life and the sport plays a large role in the person that I am today. Swimming has shown me not only how to be able to manage my time super well, but how to be a leader, team player, hard worker and gave me the ability to develop a positive mindset and attitude. It's not always easy to wake up at early hours and stay up late in to the night trying to finish homework, but swimming gave me the drive to be able to complete tasks as such. I struggled a lot in high school trying to balance every aspect of my life, but I'm glad that I have developed these life skills.
Over the summers, when I'm not swimming, I am a lifeguard, coach and swim instructor. I absolutely love working with children which gave me the inspiration to want to become an elementary school teacher, and give back to the community and teachers I've had along the way for helping me become exactly who I am today. The look children give you when they finally accomplished something they have been working so hard for is something that is indescribable and irreplaceable, so my goal is to work really hard, engage in learning at a whole new level, and become a teacher so that I can see that look everyday of my life.
I am grateful everyday for all of the people in my life, which is something that makes life positive and full of bright things. I want people to feel positive; something I plan on encouraging while I'm a teacher. I believe that with a positive attitude, you can do anything that you set your mind to. Do what you love, love what you do; if you don't love it, move on and find something else, there is a world full of possibilities out there, go find them!
Hello everyone! My name is Bethany and I come from upstate New York (Poughkeepsie Area). I went to Catholic/ private school from Kindergarten through 12th grade so I do not know much about the public school education system. I am the oldest of two; I have a younger brother, soon to be sixteen. I have been a competitive dancer since the age of four and it was all I knew growing up! We competed regionally and nationally, even against the famous "Dance Moms." I dabbled in soccer for awhile but it all came to a halt before my senior year. I was a lifeguard at an outdoor pool and fell down the stairs running to a patron during a storm. I landed on my back and later realized I herniated one of my disks. It was no big deal until I began having trouble walking. Long story short, I have Sciatica at 18 and I go though procedures to help monitor the pain but if you get stuck walking behind me on a bad day, I'm sorry cause Itend to slow down a bit. I was able to compete my senior year with limitations but I am glad and proud I was able to finish. After my fall I gave up lifeguarding and now babysit full time. I left 14 babysitting kids at home when I came to college; They became my life! I love working with children and I am hoping this course will better help me understand their education. I am a Communicative Disorders major with my attention towards pediatric speech therapy and audiology!
Hey there! My name is Melissa Morris, and I am a freshman here at URI. Currently I am planning on majoring in Chemistry, but I'm always trying to keep an open mind. I live in Billerica, Massachusetts with my younger sister (who is a junior in high school), and the cutest little puppy named Holly. Some things I love include soccer (as you can see from the picture to the left), hiking, running, photography, camping with family and friends, and playing the ukulele. Although TV isn't really my thing, my two favorite shows are Bob's Burgers and Parks and Rec. I spent most of my time in high school running around to get to all the sports I played; I was a captain of the girl's soccer team for three years, I ran indoor and outdoor track and field, I was a figure skater until sophomore year, I snowboarded with my family on the weekends, and I danced at Sally Gould Dance Center a couple hours a week. My family jokes that my busy schedule is the reason my hair is so long - apparently I never have time to cut it.
Below are links to the sections of my Academic Autobiography. I wrote this autobiography for my American Education Honors course, and it explains what has influenced me to become learner I am and the learner I want to be.
Early School Influences - Yes, I did in fact try to run away from school in fourth grade. Why? Guess you'll have to read the link!
High School Influences - No tests, ever? Click here to read about my experience with project-based education.
Outside of School Influences - Tough love and collaboration, that's what family is for.
Future Learning - Ever heard of Patch Adams, or maybe the OLLI institute? One night that secured my outlook on life.
Introduction
Hello! My name is Christopher Parisella, but I think I like you, so you can call me Chris! I'm an undeclared freshman student here at URI! I was born in New Haven, Connecticut, and growing up attended school in my hometown of North Haven. Growing up, my mother's own musical talents instilled in me an interest in music and the arts, and from a young age I've enjoyed all types of music. In junior high, as well as high school, I played the alto saxophone as a part of my school's concert and jazz bands. In high school, though I'd always fostered a love of singing, I decided to dive into an organized group for the first time, joining several different musical groups and beginning my journey into the world of choir and a capella. Though I'd also played soccer from a young age, once I got to high school, I hung up my cleats to exchange them for track spikes, joining the school's track team; a team through which I made some of my best friends. Over the four years of my career as a jumper and hurdler both indoors and out, I worked towards my end goal of becoming a team captain, which I thankfully managed to achieve. I've also spent the past six years now working at a summer camp in Quebec, honing my French and meeting so many incredible people! I'm gonna keep on singing, but I know I'll miss track for sure. Now that I'm in college, however, I'm focused on discovering my major, whatever it may be, and buckling down in the classroom. I'm interested in people, and I enjoy working with people. Where will this lead me? I hope to soon find out!Introduction
My name is Dawn Parry, and I am currently enrolled in the University of Rhode Island pursuing a BS Marine Biology/Masters of Oceanography 5-year degree. I am a recent graduate of the Marine Academy of Technology and Environmental Science (MATES) in Manahawkin, New Jersey. I live in Point Pleasant, NJ, and in high school I was very involved in athletics, clubs, research, and community service.I aspire to be a research scientist, preferably in the fields of marine biology or oceanography. One day, I will earn my doctorate and possibly teach high school or college level courses in those fields. I am especially fascinated by deep-sea exploration and spent a week in August 2014 on the deep-sea exploration vessel Nautilus.
I live minutes from the ocean, and I love going to the river and ocean beaches. I also love making trips a little further away to go to Yankees and Jets games with my dad.
Elementary School
High SchoolOutside Experiences
Future Learning
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Hi! My name is Jenna Santoro. I am a freshman at URI. My major is math and secondary education. I am from Totowa, New Jersey and went to a Passaic Valley High School which is made up of Totowa, Woodland Park and Little Falls. I also have a beach house in Lavallette, New Jersey. I am a triplet, but the other two are boys and we do not like anything alike. I also have two dogs and their names are Rocky(Bub) and Jake(Nub). I love spending my entire summer on the beach and just laying out in the sun for hours upon hours. At night my favorite thing to watch is Friends, but on Monday nights I love watching Awkward as well. In high school I threw the Javelin and participated in an event called Girls' Show which is a very big deal at my school.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IovNmuWeo_w (here's a link to 2014 and the quality is not that good, but this was my favorite year out of my 4 years on Green Exercise) I like running, but summer nights I'd rather walk by the bay instead. I do not have any pictures of myself so I decided to put one up of myself and my beautiful roommates! ( I'm on the left)
Connecticut, and I am thankful to go to school in a totally different place. I grew up in a four person household, with my mother, father, and brother. Of course my
mom would like me to count the dogs and cats as siblings, but for now I will leave it at four. Like most kids growing up, I attended Saturday morning soccer games
every week at our local park, Veteran's Field. Practices were once a week, and anyone that could at least keep the ball under control was the MVP of the week. This
is where natural selection began, sorting out the weak ones and separating the athletes from the children.
Not really. But this is where I first found my love for sports and competition. Although I was not the quickest with my feet, in the 5th grade I would find out that
hand eye coordination would be my natural gift. I began basketball in middle school, and loved every minute of it; the practices, my coach and teammates,
dinners out after a victory, but by far my favorite part of sports was the adrenaline. Now I am not a thrill seeking person, I have no desire to cliff dive or jump out
of an airplane to feel a shot of electricity going through my veins. I lived for the heat of the moment, and working my tail off every weekend at games. I played
every year up until my senior year of high school, and had picked up other sports since then. Freshman year I also joined the fall volleyball team and the spring
track and field team. Sports have always made a huge impact on my life. Aside from my team family, I have loving parents and a reluctantly affectionate brother
back at home. Although it was my dad that really drove me with sports, my mom was always my number one fan. Attending almost all of my sporting events,
she was my cheerleader and coach on the sidelines.
I grew up in an extremely supportive family. Whenever my brother and I wanted to try something new, my parents were the first ones to say "Okay, lets tackle
this together." I am so thankful now for all they have done in my life, in school and out. Although I was always smart, I was never the top of my class, and of
course I was close friends with everyone in the top 10 of class ranks. I remember coming home from school upset that I didn't get as good a grade as them, or
highest honors. I was always on the honor roll, but never on top, and that's what my life seemed to be for a very long time. No matter how many hours I stayed
after school with the teacher, or flashcards I made, I was never the smartest. I became content with being second best, but always first in sports. This was the
way of the world up until my senior year when I decided that instead of my usual 100% towards sports and 90% to school, I would give my all to both. I ended
the year with a 3.6 GPA and multiple awards from my volleyball team.
(sorry I was unable to upload images)
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Introduction
My name is Lauren Zeffer and I am from North Babylon, Long Island. I have an older sister who is 25 and a younger sister who is 16. I would be lying if I said my mom never let me have cool pets. Right now I have a Maltese and Yorkie mix named Sugar, a parakeet named Hoot, and a hedgehog named Ollie. In the past I have had fish, hamsters, turtles, and even two ducks. I am a sophomore wildlife and conservation biology major with a minor in Spanish.
Growing up, my family had a tiny bungalow just off the shore of the Great South Bay in a small private community just 20 minutes from my house. My great grandfather built the house over 75 years ago. He changed the lives of his family members for generations after. I had the privilege of spending my summers here. My grandmother never wanted me to sit inside all day. I was given the option of either finding friends, exploring outside, or going home to North Babylon. Being shy, I decided to explore. I used to go fishing in the creek across from my bungalow. I used to see deer, muskrats, chipmunks, snapping turtles, and more while I sat with my fishing pole. When I got bored, I rode my bike to the marina where I watched the Osprey build its nest. I was fascinated by the way they carried fish in their talons and how beautiful they were. Being the little nature lover I was, I walked on the beach to collect seashells, poked dead puffer fish with sticks, and picked up crabs and clams and threw them back in the water after they had washed up on the beach. Nature became part of who I was. As I got older I saw my first owl while I was riding my bike back home at dusk. I stopped and saw a few more fly onto the power line. I though it was the coolest thing I had ever seen because I had heard their calls in the past and collected their feathers for years, but never actually saw one.
By the time I hit late middle school and early high school, I began thinking of ideas for my Girl Scout Gold Award. The Girl Scout Gold Award is the highest award one can earn in Girl Scouting, and I was determined to earn mine because I had been a Girl Scout since kindergarten. I learned that bat populations on Long Island were in serious decline beginning in 2010. I wanted to find a way to intertwine that knowledge into my project. I came up with building bat houses in order to help restore their populations. I spent over 80 hours researching, teaching others about the importance of bats, and building and installing three bat houses, each housing about 80 bats. I installed them in three different locations within my summer community, hoping to give back to the wildlife that had influenced my childhood. Without my great grandfather building the bungalow, I am not sure I would be going to school to pursue a career in wildlife conservation.